Bendžius hits 15 from downtown, ties Gutiérrez

Did you know two things – that Lithuania had a student league and that Eimantas Bendžius put on a show firing in 15 three-pointers in a single game, going for a total of 53 points?

Bendžius (203-F-90) was thought to be moving to Lietuvos Rytas in the summer, but with an overfilled roster it was decided that the 20-year-old forward would have a better chance to develop his game in Perlas Vilnius, where he’s currently averaging 11.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in the LKL.

Bendžius had always been a good shooter, but making 15 shots from downtown in a single game was just going to another level. MRU – a university specialized in law – rode a 53-point game by Bendžius to beat the University of Agriculture –oh yes, that’s cool – LŽŪU 121-85.

“Bendžius was doing wonders out there on the court. It was amazing to watch him play. It just was his day and no one could get anywhere close to stopping him. We had weaker opponents this time so my boys just had some fun this time,” said the head coach of MRU Vytautas Poteliūnas.

In Lithuania youngsters with professional contracts are not prohibited from helping their university on the basketball court. In fact, for most of the players, it’s an easier way to get into university and to get a degree. Players such as Paulius Jankūnas and Mantas Kalnietis from Žalgiris Kaunas have become champions of the LSKL in the past.

Unfortunately, the spectacular performance by Bendžius hasn’t been captured on tape. Anyway, the numbers speak for themselves. In the mean time you can enjoy a video of a similar performance from Leonardo Gutiérrez in Argentina just a couple of days ago.